Seventh Grade Science Learning Targets 2015­2016
REGIONAL SCHOOL UNIT #22
RSU #22 is committed to the optimal learning of all students. As RSU #22
continues to move towards meeting 2018 graduation expectations, we have
elected to look at proficiency learning targets K­12. Rather than only the high
school being responsible to report student proficiency, we have created some
initial targets at each grade level. We know that some children may be able to
meet standards beyond the targets listed at the grade level. We also know that
some students will need more time to meet the expectations.
Standards Scored on the Report Card:
Life Science: Biodiversity & Evolution
 Understands how organisms are categorized into groups based on
structural characteristics, ways in which they obtain food, and methods of
reproduction.
 Understands the physical and behavioral (eg. guarding the nest,
communication, instincts, burrowing, hibernating, migrating)
characteristics of plants and animals that help them live in different
environments
 Understands how variations in the behavior and traits of an offspring may
permit some of them to survive a changing environment
Life Science: Cells & Organisms
 Understands the basic characteristics of living and non- living things (e.g.
growing, responding to environment, changing, reproducing)
 Understands organisms have structures that have different functions to
support survival (senses to detect food, legs to get it, arms to carry it
away, and a mouth to eat it, etc.)
 Understands the functions of organelles in plant and animal cells
(mitochondria, cell membrane, nucleus, etc.)

Life Science: Environmental Science
 Understand the growth and survival of organisms in any particular
environment depends on the physical conditions of the environment
 Understand how energy flows through the terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems from producers to consumers to decomposers
 Understand ways in which organisms interact symbiotically within an
ecosystem
Life Science: Heredity & Reproduction
 Understands how heredity and experience shape physical traits and
behaviors (nature vs. nurture)
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
Understands the effects of sexual and asexual reproduction on the traits of
the offspring
Understand patterns of inheritance in determining genotype and
phenotype
Life Science: Human Body
 Understand the body can be divided into systems that perform specific
functions
 Understands the purposes of 6 human body systems: respiratory,
circulatory, digestive, muscular, skeletal, nervous
 Understand the basic structure and functions of the major organs
of human body systems: digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous,
muscular, skeletal
 Understands how pairs of organs and body systems interact to keep a
human alive (e.g., heart and lungs; muscles and
 bones)